I woke up this morning to a blizzard. I can’t see past the porch. The wind howls and grieves like a professional mourner. But it’s a funny thing-today I am relaxed. I had not realized the toll that vigilance had on me, day after day. We all watch the horizon for fire or people coming from the city. It is a constant fear that we will be invaded by some calamity and we have to be ready to run. Fight or flight. But today I do not have to fear fires or invaders. No one who values his life would be out there in this blizzard. So, I can relax. I don’t have to watch the windows or check the horizon. I feel such a strong presence of God today. He is blessing us with this day to relax.
And today, we will have water to drink. I’ve already spent hours in the blowing snow and cold, filling pans, cups, and anything I can find to collect the driven snow. It is amazing how little water comes from a full pan of snow, but that’s ok. I’ll keep at it until there isn’t any more left. I have two five-gallon mason jars with spigots and I’m filling those up to have drinking water first. I set them up with little bowls underneath so that none of it will spill. Every bucket, pan, bowl, and glass is sitting on every surface in my kitchen and dining room, filled with snow.
Once again, the plastic screens are keeping me warm in the kitchen. I moved the love seat into the kitchen this time, to have a nice comfy seat. There isn’t much room, but it fits ok enough. As evening approached and the light waned, I began to gather my food stores and organize them into months. Four more months of cold weather will be lean, but I’ll make it through. I have canned chicken, sardines, protein powder, tuna, and canned veggies. Each week, Ken brings over some eggs, but the chickens must be on strike. There were hardly any eggs this week. I have prepper food, but I won’t need to break into it for a while, maybe months. I’m scooping a pinch of electrolyte powder into my water once a day. I’m hungry, but it’s ok if I lose a little weight. I’ll be ok.
As I went to sleep, I thought about all the things that we are doing without. No phones to steal our time, and we can still reach out to the neighbors. I tried not to think of family in different parts of the country, or Michael…wherever he is. While I don’t go to work every day, I have plenty to do to keep my life safe and running. There are no news reports, and no ability to make appointments. The lack of news worries us, but the lack of doctors is somewhat terrifying. There’s no music to listen to, but we can sing. There’s no church but we can pray together and read the Bible. There are no movies, so we tell stories. The lack of noise pollution is welcome, although we really didn’t notice the noise before. Without light pollution, the stars are amazing! Tonight I will sleep, knowing God has covered me in a blanket of snow and he will be here when I wake in the morning.